61 this is dispatch
by stormbringer94
Summary: What if Ramsey wasn't just a concerned dispatch officer? What if his attachment to Dawson wasn't so innocent? Shay and Dawson tell Casey about Ramsey's stalkerish behaviour, but what can they do? Multi-chapter fic. R&R
1. Chapter 1

_Hey guys, sorry about the formatting. Thanks for letting me know. Hopefully I've fixed it now :) _

_I don't own Chicago Fire, or the characters. If I did, we'd see a lot more Severide ;)_

* * *

"God that was creepy." Shay muttered as she stashed her freshly packed kit in the ambulance.

"It was weird, right?" Dawson asked, earning her a raised eyebrow.

"Girl, that was _way_ creepy. I mean, you've only ever spoken off the job for like twenty seconds that one time at Molly's, and now he's being all buddy-buddy over the radio? Come on!"

Dawson grinned at Shay's antics as her phone buzzed in her pocket. Waving off her crazy partner she put the phone to her ear.

"Ooh, booty call from mister big shot lieutenant? Who else would be calling you on-shift? You sly –"

Gabby's panicked expression had Shay quiet instantly. She could hear someone speaking loudly on the other end of the line.

"- how could you do that to me?"

"Ramsey?"

"You and me, we're connected. In ways you don't understand."

Shay watched Dawson hang up before speaking.

"When did you give him you're phone number?" She asked. This was all kinds of weird.

"I didn't. He must have gotten it from the logs at dispatch." Dawson frowned.

Shay faked a shudder. "Stalker alert!"

"That's a bit extreme. I mean I only ever saw him that one time at Molly's." Dawson murmured. "Mind you, how did he even know I'd be there? I mean, he's dispatch. I don't know where he could have heard about the bar!" Shay had never seen Dawson this rattled. The woman was a pillar of strength and sass, but this had clearly knocked the wind out of her

"Come on girl. Let's go get some food and we'll sort it out then, m'kay?"


	2. Chapter 2

_Here's chapter 2. Read and Review please! I don't own Chicago Fire :(_

* * *

The common room was packed. As per usual, Mouch and Otis were in the middle of a heated debate whilst Cruz, Hermann and the lieutenants laughed at them. Otus was quick to notice the paramedics arrival.

"Shay, Dawson, you'll never believe it –"

"Otus, c'mon man, it's over. Leave them be." Casey chuckled, slapping him on the shoulder as he moved to greet the paramedics. Shay figured this was as good a time as any to tell the guys about Ramsey.

"Actually guys, speaking of things you'll never believe, Dawson –"

"I found the little girl's teddy from the apartment fire today in the back of the ambo. Figured we could clean it up, and send it aver to them." Gabby interrupted quickly, holding out the soot-blackened panda.

"Yeah, that sounds good. I'll give it a wash and bring it in at the end of shift." Casey said, dropping a kiss on Dawson's cheek before heading out, followed by Severide.

"Okay, what was that?" fumed Shay, "Why wouldn't you let me tell them?"

Dawson sighed and rubbed a hand over her face.

"Look, you know how the guys get. I'd never hear the end of it from them."

"C'mon Dawson! This guy is dangerous, and we both know it."

"No, we don't." Dawson sighed again. "Look, Shay, you and I both know that being slightly unprofessional is not enough to call this guy out as dangerous. Unless things change, I'm not going to have the entire house playing bodyguard, OK?"

She was right. The politics of sexual harassment were still fresh in their minds after the whole Tara-Severide incident. Despite Dawson's argument, Shay was still convinced the guy was a creep.

"Alright, I'll drop it, but only on one condition."

Dawson frowned at her in suspicion.

"What's the condition?" she asked.

"One more incident; one more call, or text or weird dispatch messages and you tell Casey. Deal?"

All things considered, it was a fairly reasonable request. The intercom rang loudly.

"Ambulance 61. Respiratory distress, 17 Whitmore. Please respond."

"Alright, deal." She said, placing her bag in the ambulance before getting in, "But I really don't think he'll do it again. I was very clear with him."

Shay grinned and climbed in behind the wheel before pulling out of the garage.

"Dispatch, this is Ambo 61 responding. We are on route to Whitmore." Dawson said into the radio.

"Copy that 61. Be advised, freeway 19 is bottle-necked. Take 42 and circle back." Ramsey's voice fizzed over the line.

"Copy that Dispatch. Thanks for the tip."

Dawson turned to Shay and grinned smugly.

"See. He was perfectly professional and –"

"So, Dawson, we must have gotten disconnected earlier. I know you're not the kind of girl to hang up on someone." Ramsey was back.

"Ramsey. I told you to keep it professional." Dawson snapped.

"Calm down Gabby. It's only me. By the way, you're looking very beautiful today."

Dropping the radio Dawson looked up at the street cameras with wide eyes. Shay placed a hand on her wrist before returning it to the wheel.

"OK, Dawson. Keep calm." She said, using her paramedic tone. "We're going to do our jobs, and as soon as we're done at Whitmore, you and I are going to return to the House and tell Casey. Until then, keep calm. Try to keep your face blank and your voice professional. We have to appear normal while he's watching us, ok?"

Dawson heaved in a deep breath and tried to settle herself.

"Alright," she said, "Let's get this done."


	3. Chapter 3

_Sorry guys; short chapter. It's more of a filler really. Hopefully this won't happen too often!_

_I don't own Chicago Fire._

* * *

The Whitmore call enough to get Gabby back in paramedic mode. Shoving all thoughts of Ramsey to the back of her mind Dawson focused on the task at hand. "Male. 65 years old. No respiration. I'm going to intubate. Radio Lakeshore and tell them we're on our way."

Shay flew through the city as fast as she could. Ramsey barely had time to make one inappropriate comment before they were pulling into the ambulance bay of Lakeshore General Hospital. After handing over to the doctors, Shay and Dawson drove back to 51. Their shift was almost over and they weren't likely to be called out again that day.

When they reached the station they could see Truck 81 parked in its place. Severide and the rest of the squad guys were lounging at their table. Shay switched off the ignition and jumped out of the rig.

"Ok Dawson, let's go find Casey." Shay said, glancing over at her partner who was staring at her phone. "Dawson, what's up?"

Gabby just shook her head and held up her phone for Shay to see.

_Hey Dawson, took you guys longer getting back to 51 than usual. You ok? Maybe a glass of wine after shift would make you feel better. We should meet up :) R_

"Jesus, why can't this guy take a hint? I mean, the radio is one thing, but this is borderline harassment!"

Dawson didn't answer. Her eyes were still fixed in horror on the tiny screen.

"Look, Gabby, just ignore it. Don't reply."

"I just wish he'd leave me alone." Dawson whispered, burying her face in her hands. Shay reached into the cab and pulled Dawson's hand away.

"Ok, come on. It's time to tell Casey."


	4. Chapter 4

_Here we go. Chapter numero 4 :) _

_I don't own Casey or Dawson or Shay or Chicago Fire, and it breaks my heart :(_

* * *

They spotted Casey just as he was about to turn into the common room. Shay could practically feel Dawson dragging her heels. Two minutes out of the ambulance and she was already talking herself out of it. Letting go of her partner Shay chased after Casey, hoping to catch him before he joined the others.

"Casey, wait up!", she called out. Casey turned at the sound of his name.

"Oh, hey Shay, what's up?", he greeted her, confusion written all over his face.

"One sec." She said turning back to Dawson, who was only just coming around the corner. "Ok, Dawson I'm going to go do inventory. Tell him. Now!"

Shay stared her friend down for a moment before disappearing back the way she came.

"Hey babe." Casey smiled, kissing her quickly. "Tell me what?"

Dawson blew out a long breath and gave him a strained smile. Casey's smile faded into a frown as he faced his girlfriend full on.

"Gabby, what's going on?"

Dawson took another breath, avoiding his intense gaze, before answering.

"There's this guy... Look, forget about it. It's probably nothing."

There was no point in trying to hide her discomfort from Casey. They knew each other far too well to miss the truth, and right now all Casey was seeing was warning signs. Opting for the role of concerned boyfriend over curious lieutenant he stroked her soft cheek with his thumb and held his gaze.

"Shay didn't seem to think so. What is it? Tell me."

Gabby finally looked at him and he could see her come to a decision right there.

"It's just one of the dispatch guys. He's gotten a bit attached to me."

Casey frowned. That wasn't what he was expecting to hear.

"How do you mean?"

Gabby shrugged and took a half step back, reaching up to entwine their fingers.

"He's just getting a bit too personal for my comfort. He watches us while we're out on shift."

"Gabby, he's supposed to do that. Dispatch are our eyes."

A loud shout came from the common room, reminding them of the other occupants of 51. Gabby glanced over his shoulder before looking back at him. Was she nervous about the others hearing?

"I know, but he's not watching our position. He's watching me." She whispered tightly.

"He said that?"

"He's always commenting on how I look, and when I told him to keep the radio chatter professional he somehow found my number and started calling me."

"What?" Casey fumed "How did he get your number?"

"I don't know. I figured maybe it was on file somewhere."

Casey was feeling a bit panicked all of a sudden. Images of Voight threatening Hallie flashed through his mind. Shay, broken and depressed after Darryl shot himself. There were so many things about the situation that felt wrong to him.

"Gabby –"

"Look, he hasn't actually done anything. It was just creeping me out a bit. The only reason I'm mentioning it at all is because it was upsetting Shay."

He wasn't convinced and she knew it, but somehow she'd managed to convince herself that she was overeacting.

"Matt, I'm fine." She smiled reassuringly, stroking his cheek. "I'm going to get something to eat. I hear Mills is cooking today."

Casey watched her go before heading out to the garage.

Shay was just finishing packing up their supplies when she saw Casey coming. She pulled herself up into the back and rested her chin on her knees.

"Let me guess, she tried to convince you it was nothing, right?"

"Yeah." He sighed, sitting down next to her. "Is it?"

"To be honest, I think there's something really off about Ramsey, and I think she's trying to convince herself that nothing's wrong."

"That's what I thought. What's really happening Shay?"

"Look, you know Dawson. She's not going to admit she's scared. Especially not now she feels she's got something to prove with the fire fighter's exam. But this guy has been scaring her for days now. It started out really innocent. Ramsey was just a bit chattier than your average dispatch officer. We didn't notice anything odd until he started commenting, you know. On stuff like how she seemed distracted or tired or whatever. She told him to keep it professional and he dropped it for a while. Next thing we know he's on shift whenever we are, and he's checking in on us all the time."

"What did Gabby say?"

Shay shrugged helplessly.

"She tried to ignore it. He still technically hadn't done anything, but he's clearly been watching her. Today, after she shut him down again she got a call from him. I only heard bits but he sounded upset. He started talking about their "connection". That's when she hung up on him. But then he was on the radio, saying he knows she didn't mean to hang up on him. Next thing we know he's texting her, asking why it took us so long to get back to the station and asking her out for a drink."

Casey ran his hand over his face. He looked exhausted, but then, Shay was tired too. It'd been a long shift without all of this.

"What can we do Casey? I've been a paramedic long enough to see what these things can turn into."

"Look Shay, you know I love Gabby, so you know what I _want _to do, but she's right. To the officials this would just look like nothing, you know? A dispatch officer showing friendly concern for a colleague. Context doesn't matter to them."

"But, Casey –"

"Look, I'm not saying we do nothing. We know about it, so we can keep an eye on her."

"Do we tell the others?"

"Not yet. She'd kill us if we did. We'll leave things as they are for now. Between the two of us, we'll always have her back. And if things change, then we tell the others."


	5. Chapter 5

_Hey guys, sorry for the really long delay. For those of you who are still with me (well done! you have more patience than I ever did!), hopefully I'll be able to warn you before any kind of a hiatus. I'm in the middle of my exams at the moment so hopefully this chapter can tide us over until I can start writing again (unless my brain is literally fried from the exams,which seems likely at this point!)_

_I don't own chicago fire or any of its characters._

* * *

Dawson was perched on her chair at the end of the table listening to Hermann and Otis bicker about Molly's. As soon as Casey and Shay walked in she glanced between them before smiling widely at Casey.

Matt went straight to her, just like he always did. These quiet moments with her were his favourite part of the day. They rarely got to spend any real time together at work and he found himself missing her more and more often. Their hands found each other on the table top without any conscious thought. No matter what was going on in their lives, that contact was something they automatically sought.

"Just think about it Hermann. Karaoke Night would broaden our demographic."

"What demographic? C'mon Otis, Molly's is a fire fighter bar! It has character! I'm not going to let you turn it into some washed out, done-before, unoriginal..."

Casey tuned out of the conversation as soon as Hermann switched into rant-mode. Mills was banging around the kitchen, working on some culinary masterpiece, with Cruz at his shoulder. Otis and Hermann stood opposite them, trying to force them to take sides in their "discussion". Mouch, of course, was on the couch, with Pouch sprawled across his lap.

"So I'm guessing Shay talked to you," Gabby commented absently, picking at the lasagne Mills had just placed in front of her, "and I'm guessing she completely blew the whole situation out of proportion."

"What makes you say that?" he asked innocently.

"You're staring at me."

Casey grinned and leaned in to kiss her quickly.

"You," he said, "are my very beautiful girlfriend, and I retain the right to stare at you whenever I like."

Worried as he was, that was the absolute truth. Gabby had turned him into a hopeless romantic who found himself wondering how he had gotten so lucky.

"You're crazy." She laughed, kissing him soundly.

"And you two are making me nauseous." Severide quipped, sittind opposite Casey. "Seriously, what's with the PDA?"

"You jealous Severide?" Dawson teased.

"Yeah, he's always had a thing for Casey." Shay laughed, sitting next to Severide.

"Shut up Leslie. I'm trying to eat here."

"Aww, I think I hit a nerve!" she teased mercilessly.

By now Casey had pulled his chair around next to Dawson's and slung his arm around her shoulders. Gabby rested her head lightly against his shoulder.

"I always knew I was just a cover!" she fake-pouted. "I guess I'm just going to have to accept second place their bromance, huh Shay?"

"Sorry girl, I've tried to warn you." Leslie could hardly keep a straight face as Kelly and Matt blustered at their teasing.

Dawson had barely taken a bite of her food when the intercom tone rang out.

"Ambulance 61, collapsed male, 34 West and Whalton."

"Come on Gabby, let's leave these lovebirds alone." Shay couldn't resist one last scandalised look before sweeping out of the common room. Gabby sighed, pulling herself reluctantly from Casey's side and dropped kiss on his cheek before following her partner.

"Don't let anyone touch my food!" she called over her shoulder as she disappeared out the doors.

As soon as the two paramedics had left the room Casey slumped in his chair. His face slipped from humour to worry, and while Kelly Severide wasn't the most sensitive of guys, even he could tell something was going on with his best friend.

"Alright Matt, out with it." He said, leaning forward to look Casey in the eyes.

"Out with what?"

Matt Casey was about as good at lying as Hermann was at investing, and right now, he was lying through his teeth. Severide wasn't even going to argue with him about it. He just sat and stared his friend down until Casey conceded.

"It's Dawson." He finally relented. Severide frowned in confusion. That was not what he was expecting to hear.

"But you guys seem fine! Did you have a fight?"

"Not exactly." Matt hedged, "It's just... a difference of opinion."

"Cut the crap Casey." Kelly growled, "Tell me what's going on."

It wasn't really a big deal. He and Shay had agreed to wait before mentioning Ramsey to the others, but Severide was his best friend, not to mention Squad lieutenant. And considering his history with unwanted attention...

"Dude, you're staring."

"Sorry, I was just thinking..."

"About...?"

"Shay and I think Gabby has a stalker, or something like one, at least. She thinks we're blowing things out of proportion, but after what Shay told me, I'm not so sure."

"What do you mean by stalker? What did Shay say?"

"It's this dispatch officer, Ramsey. Shay says he's been... overly friendly... with Gabby when they're on duty. Apparently it's started to escalate. He found her phone number and started texting and calling her."

Casey was looking at Kelly with pleading eyes, silently begging his friend to tell him it was nothing; that Gabby was right and he was overreacting. Unfortunately, Severide had seen this kind of thing before, and it didn't always end pretty.

"How well does she know the guy?"

"That's just it! He showed up at Molly's a couple of weeks ago, but aside from that, they've never spoken socially. She'd never even told him about Molly's before."

A loud clang from the kitchen reminded them that they weren't alone in the room. Mills was cleaning the pans from lunch, but he was clearly trying to listen in. Subtlety had never been Peter's strong suit, but Kelly didn't blame him for being curious. Casey had a panicked look about him. His eyes were wide and worried and he kept running his hands through his cropped hair. Every one of these gestures was a tell. Casey was physically telegraphing his anxiety, and Mills had picked up on it.

Dropping his voice to a hushed whisper, Severide tried his best to answer his friend honestly.

"Look man, from the sounds of it he's done nothing illegal. You can't accuse him of being unprofessional with her, cus, well, you're sleeping with her. And that's about as unprofessional as it gets -"

"So you think it's nothing?" Casey snapped, but Severide knew him too well to take offence.

"I didn't say that." He mollified, "By the looks of things he hasn't turned sinister. Just tell her to be careful of how she talks to him; nothing to friendly, or antagonistic. Anything beyond a professional "please" and "thank you" is too much. She doesn't want to feed this fantasy of his."

"What do you mean by fantasy?"

"Look, this guy clearly believes that he and Dawson have this... friendship. And, just like a real relationship, if she doesn't contribute, it'll fade."

"So she has to, what? Bore him out of his interest in her?"

Casey's scowl had lessened as he mulled over Kelly's advice.

"Pretty much. It worked for me when that Ashley chick kept calling. It was a knight-in-shining-armour thing and I just had to let it play out. Trying to convince her that we didn't have a "connection" as she called it, just made her angry."

"Sleeping with her repeatedly probably didn't help."

Kelly swatted his friend over the head before huffing out a self-deprecating laugh.

"Fine, probably not." He admitted grudgingly, "But, in the end, Chief told me not to react, and he was right. She got bored and moved on."

Although Casey's mood had improved slightly, Severide could still see the worry weighing him down.

"Look, Casey, I'm guessing that nothing I say is going to make you stop worrying completely-". Severide paused, waiting for Casey to jump in. Instead, his fellow lieutenant just raised an eyebrow at him, as if to say _really?_

"- but Gabby's a tough one. She can definitely look after herself. Not to mention Shay. She'd never let anyone near Gabby if she thought they were a threat."

"You're right. I know you are, but..."

"But you love her. And, you're completely whipped, to the point that if anything was to happen to her, you would lose the ability to function like a human being."

Casey chuckled and tried to jab at him.

"She's your soulmate, your best friend! She completes y-"

He would have kept going had Casey not cut him off with a sharp jab to the spleen.

Chuckling as the Squad lieutenant wheezed in discomfort, Casey sat back in his chair with a satisfied smirk, his worry forgotten for a brief moment.

"You know I'm right though! You haven't even tried to deny it" Kelly gasped gleefully, still grasping his side. He could see Casey's cheeks redden slightly, proving his point further.

"Shut up Severide."


	6. Chapter 6

_Hey, so sorry about the wait. College life has taken over and I have woefully neglected my fanfictioning duties. This is just a small, slightly fluffy piece of Dawsey in response to a few brilliantly persistent reviewers, without whom I would have given up on this story and all my ideas for it. So thank you :)_

_On a side note, I am blatantly ignoring the events of the season 3 premier. I won't ruin it for anyone who hasn't seen it, but if you have, you'll understand why, for me at least, that episode just doesn't exist!_

_As always, Chicago Fire and it's characters do not belong to me._

* * *

Gabby handed the clipboard back to the orderly as they wheeled the old man away. Shay was restocking the rig so Dawson waited by the emergency bay for her. A woman was sitting on the bench outside smoking a cigarette, her blue scrubs matching the wall behind her. Her short brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail under a scrub cap. Seeing Gabby she her dropped her cigarette and stomped it out.

"Don't tell my interns." She winked, "I'm supposed to be quitting."

Gabby smiled politely and nodded.

"You're Gabby Dawson, right?"

Dawson knew almost all of the surgeons at Chicago Med, but she didn't recognise this woman. "Yeah, that's me. Do I know you?"

The doctor smiled. She looked to be in her mid forties, with a few grey hairs and laugh lines framing her eyes.

"No, sorry. I'm Jennifer Dean, the new head of trauma." She said, holding out her hand. Gabby shook it and smiled.

"Oh! Well, congratulations. And nice to meet you." It was always a plus getting to know the doctors she was working with. And while some were absolute assholes, most of the hospital staff were friendly and accommodating.

"It's nice to meet you too. told me to keep an eye out for you. He said you were the best."

"_Dr. Grayson_ said that? Are you sure it was him?"

"I'm pretty sure." Dr. Dean chuckled, "He's a fairly distinctive-looking guy."

"Wow, I thought he hated me!"

"No, I think it's more like begrudgingly impressed. He said you don't always follow the rules." Dr. Dean grinned conspiratorially.

"Sounds like I've got a bit of a reputation here?" Gabby groaned, glancing up as Dean's pager buzzed. The doctor glanced at it and sighed.

"I have to go. I'll see you around Gabby." She called, already half way to the door. As she pushed it open she turned around and grinned widely.

"And don't worry about your reputation here! It's a good one. We doctors love it when you bring us a living patient. It makes our job a lot easier."

* * *

That evening Dawson arrived home to find Casey lounging on the couch, flicking through their mail. Dropping her bag by the door she walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, linking her hands over his heart where she could feel its steady beating.

"Hey babe." She murmured, pressing her lips to his jaw. He tilted his head and pressed his lips to hers.

"Hey. Long day?"

"Not too bad. I met the new head of trauma at Chicago Med."

"Yeah? What's he like?"

"She. Her name's Dean, and she seems nice; funny even."

"That's good. Makes your job easier."

"Yeah, I think so." She replied, pressing another kiss to his cheek as he picked the mail off the couch and handed it to her.

"Anything good?" she asked, standing up and circling the couch.

"Not much. Mostly bills. We got an invite to Heather's engagement party."

"Heather Darden?" she asked, shocked. He grinned up at her and pulled her to sit next to him, swinging her legs over his lap.

"Yeah. She's got engaged to a high school teacher last month."

"Wow, that's wonderful." She sighed happily, leaning into the back of the couch. "I was just thinking about the boys the other day. How do they feel about it?"

"It was tough for them at first. I went over to visit last week. They love Mike and he loves them, but it took a while for them to realise he's not trying to replace Andy."

"So you've met him?"

"Yeah. He's really great. I think this will be a turning point for them."

"I'm glad. That family needs a break."

"Yeah. Hey, while we're still, well kind of, on the topic of mail, there's a letter here for you."

"Yeah?"

"From the Chicago Firefighter Academy."

"What?"

"Yeah. And I'm dying of curiosity here so would you please just open it and tell me what it says?"

"Hmmm. I don't know. I mean, mail is supposed to be private..."

"Gabby," He growled, pulling her closer, his hands wandering dangerously close to her sides, "open the letter."

Dawson grinned impishly and waited a moment, before her own curiosity got the better of her and she opened the envelope. Scanning it quickly she raised her eyebrows in surprise before tossing the letter back on the couch.

"It's nothing."

"...?"

"What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"What's in the letter Gabby?"

"You can read it if you like." She said, settling further into the couch and closing her eyes contentedly. She heard the rustling of paper as Casey read the letter.

"You took the firefighter's exam?"

"Well, yeah, but that was years ago. I had only just started working here."

"But you got accepted?"

"Apparently. That's what the letter says."

"And you're going to do it?"

"I thought about it for a long time, after I applied. A couple of years ago Boden told me I'd probably be getting this letter and the next few years. I didn't tell anyone because I needed to make sure it was what_ I_ wanted. I didn't want anybody else to influence my decision."

"But you've decided, haven't you?"

"Yeah."

"And you're leaving."

"No."

"No?"

"No." Gabby chuckled at his expression. "You have to understand; I grew up in a tenant building. The whole complex was a wreck and when I was thirteen a faulty fuse blew and sent the whole thing up in flames. So many people almost died, but were saved by firefighters. It made me want this."

"But you're not going to join the academy?"

"No. I took that test because I wanted to save lives. I felt like I had a debt to pay, and I thought that was the only way of doing it."

"So what changed?"

"What changed was the past eight years. I wanted to save lives; well a couple of months ago I brought a nine year old girl back from the dead. I might have almost lost my job over it, but that little girl is going to grow up and have a life because of that. When I got that letter I realised that I love what I do now. I love being at 51 with you guys, I love working with Shay, and I love being a paramedic."

"So you're staying?"

"Yeah. Are you ok with that?"

"Am I -?" he stared at her incredulously for a moment before sweeping her up in his arms and pressing her into the couch, kissing her soundly. Her hands slipped into his hair and her head tilted back and his lips moved frantically down her throat.

"Just –so you know –" He murmured between her heated moans as he nipped her collarbone, "I would – have supported you – either way – but –"

He pulled away and gazed into her impossibly deep brown eyes.

"I'm really glad you're staying."

Gabby laughed and pulled him closer again. He pressed his forehead to hers and closed his eyes as she whispered softly.

"Me too."


	7. Chapter 7

_Hey peoples! I have a feeling I'll always be starting my stories with an apology for not updating. Thank GOD I'm not a real writer or my editor would be having a complete meltdown! _

_Here's the next chapter. I don't own Chicago Fire. If I did it would be everything would go my way... which it doesn't... hense the fanfictioning..._

* * *

As close as they all were at Firehouse 51, there are some things that just can't be unseen, so, since he and Gabby had become official, the rest of the house had become very careful to knock before entering Lieutenant Casey's office.

The man in question was seated at his desk finishing an incidence report when a loud knock shook his door.

"You can come in Hermann." He grinned, recognizing the irritable muttering from the other side.

"Hey Casey, you seen Severide?"

"Yeah, he's in the locker room. What's up?"

"Dunno." The smaller man shrugged. "Boden wants you both in his office."

"Ok, I'll grab him now."

Hermann paused and looked at Casey with an odd expression on his face.

"You ok, Lieutenant?"

"Absolutely, why?" he chuckled. Hermann's face slipped into a worried frown.

"It's just... you're all smiley. You're lookin' a bit like the joker there. You might wanna watch that."

Casey grinned again as Hermann turned and left.

* * *

Chief Boden leaned back in his chair and appraised his two lieutenants over his clasped fingers.

"Casey, Severide, after shift I need you both to go down to the dispatch office. Our frequencies are getting crossed with C.P.D. again and I want you to go sort it out."

"Isn't that more of an IT thing sir?"

Boden scowled. Arms crossed over his chest, he cut an impressive figure; the scowl suited him.

"Usually it is the responsibility of C.F.D. administration, but so far they haven't done a damn thing and we need this sorted out now. I want you to take care of this."

Severide grinned slightly. Whereas Boden's resting expression seemed to be irritation, Kelly Severide had the facial expression of an errant child; grinning and definitely up to no good.

"You got Chief."

"No messing around out their Severide, I don't care how many divorcees they've got working for them."

Severide opened his mouth to protest but the intercom interrupted his speech.

"Truck 51, Squad 3, Ambulance 61, collapsed builing, 14th and Talbot."

Casey and Severide were up and out the door without so much as a backward glance at their chief, exactly as it should be. The two firefighters burst though the bay doors to find their men suited up and waiting for their lieutenants.

"Ok Cruz, we're on the clock here. Let's light her up."

"You got it Casey."

* * *

Chief Boden pulled up to the scene just as Casey was dismissing the manager.

"Casey, what have we got?"

"Floor manager says he's got seven people on the third floor, lower floors are being evacuated but the stairs are gone." Casey reported, eyeing his chief expectantly. Squad and truck were already at work behind him raising the ladders. The four story building appeared untouched from the outside but above the noise on the ground the beams could be heard groaning under the extra weight.

"Ok. Casey; you and truck take evacuation. Work from the basement up before this building falls in on itself. Kelly; looks like you're gonna have go in through the roof. See if you can't reach the third floor."

"You got it chief."

Boden tried to disguise the pride he felt as he watched firehouse 51 work like a well-oiled machine. Squad were already establishing themselves on the roof and truck were busy clearing the basement. Shay was setting up triage by the ambo as Dawson darted between patients treating them for shock. House 34 were 20 minutes out and on their way, and Boden was only a little bit smug that his people had everything in hand.

"Severide, what do you see."

"Roof's stable and we've got a clean view to the fourth floor. Looks like the people inside moved upstairs away from the collapse. I count seven."

"Good, that's all of them. Get them out of there and down to triage."

"We're on it chief, but we're gonna need more ambos."

"I'll call it in. You coordinate with Casey."

"Copy. Squad, let's get these people moving."

The low groan of timber under concrete was the only warning they got.

* * *

"GET BACK!" Kelly roared, throwing himself away from the gaping hole. The floor shook beneath them as three more beams gave way to the pressure.

"Squad report!" he called, straining to hear his team's reply over all the noise. As the dust began to settle again there was an unnerving silence. Finally the radio crackled for a moment and Mills responded.

"We're all good lieutenant. We're all clear."

"Ok, everybody pull back to the roof. This floor won't take our weight, so we're going to have to establish a line from up higher."

Severide inched his way back to the hole where Cap was waiting to pull him up. The radio crackled as he heaved himself onto the roof. The rest of squad were already out and lowering another victim onto the ladder.

"Severide, you guys good up there?" Casey's voice was muffled by static.

"Squad's good." Kelly panted. "You guys ok? The fourth floor just caved."

"We're clear. Just helping with triage now. You get everyone out?"

"Negative. Casey, we've got a problem."

"What's wrong?"

Kelly wiped the sweat off his face, ignoring the streaks of dust and dirt he'd left behind. He watched as Mills surveyed the damage, reading his signals before replying to Casey. "We've got a guy down here, fell through the floor."

The radio crackled again and the building beneath them groaned slightly.

"Where, I'll see if I can reach him."

"Don't bother, he's on the third floor now. The wall collapsed over the door. The only way to get to him is through the hole."

"Can you do it."

"Negative. He needs to be stabilised but the floor won't hold any of our weight down there."

"I'll send up Otis." Kelly shook his head, forgetting for a moment that Casey couldn't see him.

"Negative. Even he'll be too heavy."

There was a long pause. Kelly could hear Shay down below giving orders to Hermann and Mouch. Squad were ready to go, they just needed an idea. They had a clear line of sight to where the last victim was laid out on the rubble two floors below.

Eventually Casey's voice sounded over the radio, slow and reluctant. "Ok... What about Dawson?"

"If we hold the weight of the board she should be light enough." Kelly paused for a moment they really couldn't spare. "You sure Casey?"

"No, but we don't have time. Shay hasn't got the experience, so Gabby's our only option."

"Ok, send her up."

* * *

Casey squashed down the sick feeling in his gut and jogged over to triage. Gabby was splinting a woman's leg while Otis held her still.

"Dawson!" he called out, determined to send her up before he changed his mind. She looked up, her face focused and determined. She could handle this.

"Go around to the south corner. Mills will pull you up."

"I'm going in?" It wasn't even really a question. She was already pulling off her gloves and shrugging on the protective jacket Otis handed her.

"Yeah. Trapped male on unsteady ground. You're lighter than the Squad guys."

"Got it, I'm on my way." She said, already up and running. She would have made a hell of a fire fighter if that's what she'd chosen. Casey felt a familiar wave of relief as he remembered what she _had_ chosen. As she darted off to the ladders he called after her, unable to hold back the worry.

"Gabby!"

"Yeah?"

"Be careful."

She smiled reassuringly.

"Always." She called, "Don't worry, I'll be with Severide."


	8. Chapter 8

_Hey guys, glad to be back. Thanks for all the great comments! You guys are fantastic for my self-esteem! I just wanted to say, in case it wasn't clear, that this fiction will be deviating a little from the show. I'm trying to keep everyone in character, but some changes, like Gabby choosing not to become a firefighter, will crop up. I'm all for female fire fighters (they're totally badass) but for the purpose of this fic I'm ignoring a few different events (again, if you're up to date on the show then you know the event-of-which-we-will-not-speak-except-for-now-when-I'm-speaking-of-it *cough cough... 3x01*)_

_Also, has anyone else had trouble deciding whether to call her Gabby or Dawson? I can't make up my mind!_

_Chicago Fire is not mine :(_

* * *

"Ok Dawson, nice and easy." Severide said, locking eyes with Dawson as the Squad guys slowly lowered her over the edge of the hole. "We'll try to hold most of your weight while you strap him in."

Dawson nodded firmly, watching her patient as he shifted on the unstable floor. As she approached him she placed herself carefully on the rubble and moved to assess the situation. The guy was barely conscious, but lying free from the debris; he'd be an easy evacuation. Dawson worked quickly, murmuring to the man, trying to keep him calm as she secured the neck brace.

"Got it. C-collar's on, lower down a backboard."

"Coming down now." Mills called out as the yellow plastic dropped slowly from the ceiling two floors above.

"Ok Dawson, once he's in we won't be able to manoeuvre the board and hold your weight so you're gonna have to unclip and attach your wire to the board." Severide's reluctant voice sounded over the radio. He clearly didn't like leaving her without support, but it was their best bad option. With her added weight Dawson knew they'd compromise control over the backboard, and if it dropped there was no guarantee the floor below could take the hit.

Taking in a deep semi-calming breath, Dawson pulled down the board and placed it next to her victim. "Ok. Gimme a second."

"We'll keep the board level. You find solid footing and do **not** move, ok?"

Squad waited anxiously as Dawson carefully slid the board under her patient. The man groaned loudly and began to struggle. She was knocked back a step when the man lashed out. He was rocking the board now, and the concrete beneath him shifted slightly. Swearing colourfully, Gabby pinned his arm firmly to his side and strapped him down firmly as she strapped him in firmly. She grabbed for the ropes swinging around her and latched them onto the board.

"Dawson, how're we doing?"

"He stable." She called, stepping back. "Pull him up now!"

"You sure?"

"Yeah Severide, he's good. Watch him though, he's coming around."

"Ok, hang in there, Dawson; we'll get you in a second."

* * *

Dawson watched as the man was slowly raised through the hole above her. The intermittent sounds of crashing below her had stopped and she took the moment to view the damage.

The room was filled with grey dust. It covered the toppled furniture and the worn carpet hidden under chunks of wood and concrete. She coughed absently as the dust rose under her footsteps. There was a funny taste, aside from the usual musty collapsed-building smell.

"Severide?"

"Yeah, Dawson. We're just sending him down now. Give us one minute."

"No, it's not that." She said, coughing again. "I smell gas."

"What?" she'd heard that urgent tone a million times before, but she'd never been the cause of it before.

"Gas!" She called louder, trying not to panic. "The floor's falling through by the door. I smell gas."

"Shit! I thought we'd switched off the main line here!"

"We did!" Mills called. He must have been holding the victim's weight, if the strain in his voice was anything to go by.

"Severide, this is an old building. The pipes are probably about the same standard as the beams."

"Ok Dawson, we're gonna get you out of there. Just hold on!" Severide said, trying to sound calm. "Hermann, do you copy? Where's Casey?"

"Helping at triage. Is Dawson clear?"

"Not yet. Listen Hermann, did you see anything down there?"

"Like what?"

"Anything that could set off a spark."

"What?"

"There's gas up here."

"You've gotta get Dawson outta there now, Severide! The wiring in there was shot! The place is ready to light!"

"SHIT! DAWSON GET AWAY FROM THE HOLE!"

Dawson backed away from the gap, throwing herself over the rubble as a column of flame shot up from the floors below. Curled up under Otis's jacket she waited out the initial surge of heat, smoke burning her eyes and throat.

Barely daring to lift her head, she scanned the room, frantically looking for a way out. The hole in the ceiling where Severide was preparing to pull her up was hidden behind a wall of smoke and fire. The whole floor was transformed by the flames, bathed in smoke, shadows and red light. Coughing viciously Gabby covered her face and backed away from the roaring heat until she could feel the wall behind her.

As the smoke thickened Dawson heaved herself to her feet, trying not to breath. She could barely hear Severide calling for her over the radio as she grabbed a piece of rusting pipe, yanking it from its fixtures in the wall. The window was so close. The ladders would be outside, she knew, with people waiting for her, but in that moment all Gabby wanted was _air._

She stumbled over, clutching the fire-retardant material around her, and took a swing at the glass. She'd hoped for it to shatter. Instead it cracked like a spider web, so with an angry sob she took another swing, and another, until _finally_ the shards began to fall away fell away.

With the window gone she could just hear the chaos below her, but there was no time to wait for a rescue. The ladder was close, maybe even within reach, and as the beams below her groaned again Gabby choked back the urge to yell and waste oxygen and climbed onto the narrow ledge.

They had noticed her down below, and Severide was already climbing off the roof trying to reach her, but there was no time.

Dawson flung herself bodily from the side of the building, hanging, suspended in midair for a brief second before her fingers found the metal rungs and her body slammed into the metal frame.

She felt bizarrely like Spiderman, until she looked up at Kelly Severide, reaching around the ladder to pull her up and over the side. Once she was safely on the ladder he braced himself behind her in case she fell as Otis retracted the extension, lowering them gently to the ground.

She barely had a moment to register that she wasn't dead before she was being handed off to Casey. He hugged her tightly – frantically – before stepping back to check her for injuries, his hands running over her face and arms.

"Yep." Gabby coughed, "definitely don't want to be a firefighter."

Casey laughed, though it sounded a little manic, and hugged her to him again.

"Alright loverboy! Let me through!" Shay's voice travelled over the exultant cheers of Firehouse 51. "She may be the love of your life, but she's _my _PIC, and everybody knows PIC trumps soulmate."

Gabby laughed between breathless coughs as her partner pulled her to the back of the ambo, where Shay proceeded to poke and prod her, listening to her chest and muttering about Wonderwoman complexes and White Knight Syndrome.

"What about triage?" Dawson asked around the oxygen mask as Shay bandaged her hand.

"Support showed up just in time to see your flying trapeze act. Monroe and Evans have it covered." The great thing about Leslie Shay is that she knew how to read her partner, and right now she knew that Gabby needed to hear that she hadn't cost someone else lifesaving care.

"Now, you my friend," Shay announced with a pleased smile, "are surprisingly ok, all things considered."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Some superficial cuts on your hands, I'm guessing from the glass and minor smoke inhalation, which you'll have to go to Chicago Med for. Don't worry though; I'm guessing they'll send you home with an inhaler and a slap on the wrist."

Gabby yanked off the annoying mask. "Thanks Shay."

"You got it Wonderwoman."

"Oh god... Please don't."

"Supergirl? Catwoman? She-ra?"

Gabby buried her face in her hands and Shay laughed at her friend's discomfort.

"Ok, fine." The blonde conceded, "Will you do me a favour though?"

"Yeah, sure."

"I know you and Casey are gonna go gallop off into the sunset in a bit, but will you talk to Kelly first. If you don't he's going to go all guilty-depressed-mode on me, which I really don't want."

"You got it."

"Oh, when you give Otis back hi s jacket, give him a kiss for me."

Gabby laughed and hugged her partner before heading back in the direction of triage to find her saviours.

"I will!" she called back over her shoulder. "If Casey hasn't already!"


	9. Chapter 9

_Hey guys, here's the next chapter. Sorry for the silence, I got zapped by writer's block, and I didn't like where the show went for a while. But don't worry, I'm feeling a little inspired again so I wrote this. As always, I don't own Chicago Fire._

* * *

"Casey!" Severide came jogging over to his friend. "Shit! I'm so sorry! The gas was supposed to be off, but God I never should have let her go down their! Oh God, she almost died and – crap! Casey I'm so sorry!"

"Severide –"

"Jesus, what if she hadn't gotten to the window? What if that guy had knocked her out?"

"Kelly –"

"I was supposed to watch her, I said I'd watch her!"

"SEVERIDE!" Casey yelled, shaking the big man by the shoulders to make him shut up. "Stop apologising!"

Severide sagged under his bulky jacket, and for a brief moment Casey wondered how his and Dawson's relationship affected those around them. Were they a distraction?

The thought was fleeting though. Cruz had just swept Gabby into another hug behind Severide. Whether or not he and Gabby loved each other, she was adored in her own right by their 51 family. Severide's horror at the close call was evidence enough of that.

"I know how close she was, believe me, I know. But," Casey said pointedly, still gripping his friend's shoulders, "none of this was your fault. It wasn't anybody's fault. I made the decision to send Dawson up, and she made the decision to say yes. The building was worn to a husk and the gas was leaking. That was nobody's fault."

Kelly Severide was a leader of men. It was in his nature to shoulder blame. Helping him overcome his misplaced sense of guilt would take more than a few encouraging words.

"But I –"

"But you caught her. Gabby _did_ make it to the window. She _did_ jump out. And you _did_ catch her. And you have no idea how grateful I am to you for that."

Severide seemed slightly bemused. As a fine mist driften down from the water blasting out of the hoses he absently wiped his hand across his face, leaving a black streak across the bridge of his nose. The look was striking and Casey was suddenly glad that his friend was whole and well too.

"How are you so calm?"

Casey huffed a tired laugh. One that spoke miles of his relief.

"I'm only calm because she's ok; because you're both ok." Casey sighed, "She scared the hell out of me, and believe me when I say I won't be sending her in again if I can help it."

"I put her danger." Severide sighed. He wasn't usually one for self-deprecation. It would probably take Gabby herself to talk him around.

"Severide, you're the only reason Gabby's alive."

"What?"

"Don't what me. I know she pesters you about drills and manoeuvres. She pesters me too." Casey laugh again, sound coming easier every time. "She and Shay bother _everyone_ with their interrogations. The only difference is that you always answer. Always. So Gabby knew where to step and what to look for. She knew to get to the window and she knew you'd be there to pull her up."

Severide glanced over at Dawson batting away Shay's hands as the blonde paramedic tried to clean her up. He smiled a bit at the pair, but still looked unconvinced.

"Look, when Gabby comes over here, if she even thinks you're guilt-tripping yourself, she'll kill the both of us."

Severide chuckled. Casey was only half-joking, but that was probably what Severide found so funny.

"Why you? You're in the clear man."

"No, I'll still get killed. I love her, but God knows I don't always understand her."

* * *

Later, after the high from adrenaline and relief had faded, the fire-fighters of 51 could be found sitting in the common room in silence. Dawson had just passed through on her way to see Connie about a replacement jacket. She had been carrying her own, and they had all seen the blackened material. Her name had been burned clean off the back.

Shay followed her PIC into the kitchen and sat down next to Severide. Seeing her friends horror-struck expression she grasped his hand in hers and whispered.

"She's ok, Kelly. Dawson's ok."

When Gabby did reappear from the offices she took one look at the sombre scene in front of her and sighed. Catching Shay's eye, she ruffled Severide's short hair as she passed him, and stated bluntly, in her typical fashion; "Jeez guys, lighten up. I'm not dead yet."

Otis let out a reluctant snort, and eventually the others joined in. She was right; they were all ok. Despite this, there was none of the usual ribbing as she went to sit by Casey at the table. He said nothing, but took her hand in his and pressed it quickly to his lips.

The rest of the shift passed them by without another call. Casey suspected the Chief may have called in a favour and kept them off minor calls for the day, but he wasn't going to argue. He was happy enough to stay at the station and watch the mood gradually lighten.

As they were leaving Boden appeared at the door, as imposing a figure as ever.

"Casey, Severide, don't forget to stop by dispatch. We need to get our frequencies sorted before we get called to a drug-bust or something."

Casey glanced anxiously over at Gabby. Despite his reassurances to Severide – and they were genuine – Casey was acutely aware of how close he had come to losing Gabby. He had planned to take her home and not let her out of his grasp until next shift at least.

His reluctant expression did not go unnoticed. Boden frowned, Severide smirked and Gabby smiled gently. It was Shay however, who spoke.

"Forget it Casey. Dawson's mine for the next few hours."

Gabby turned her smile to her friend and raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. We're going to get massages."

Boden cleared his throat and pursed his lips, the way he always did when he was trying not to laugh. "Right well I guess that's settled then. Casey, I want this matter settled."

"You got it Chief."

As Boden retreated to his office Severide affectionately ruffled Shay's hair and squeezed Dawson's arm – an uncharacteristic gesture which she returned with a smile – before making for the exit.

"Ok girl," Shay said, "I'll meet you at my car."

She winked at Dawson and Casey and hurried out the way Severide had just left.

With everyone gone Gabby sighed and leaned into Casey. He wrapped his arms tightly around her and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

"You ok?" she murmured against his chest.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?"

She just sighed in response and Casey leaned back slightly to get a better look at her. She watched him scan her face and smiled softly as one of his hands drifted up to her neck where it rested on her steady pulse.

"Really Matt, I'm ok."

"You are, aren't you?"

Gabby pressed a quick kiss to his cheek and reluctantly extracted herself from his arms.

"You go do whatever it is Boden wants done, I'll go supervise Shay so she doesn't hit on the masseuse, and I'll meet you back home in a few hours."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. We've got left over curry we can heat up for dinner. And after, I was thinking I could draw us a bath and..." she trailed off suggestively as she swayed further out of his reach. A slow smile spread across his face.

"I should probably hurry then."

"Probably." She smirked, sauntering out after her friend.

Jeffries from first shift appeared around the corner, nudging Casey out of his stupor. The older man chuckled. "Lucky bastard."

* * *

When Casey finally did appear in the parking lot, Severide was waiting for him with a knowing smirk. Looks like he was getting over his guilt.

"You ready to go?"

"Yeah. Let's get this over with."

"You got somewhere to be?"

Severide's smirk deepened and Casey scowled, ducking into the car.

"Come on."

* * *

The drive to the dispatch offices was short, and when they got there the secretary, Brenda, smiled and waved them through.

"Chief Boden called ahead and said you were coming. The central offices are on the third floor, and you're looking for Charlie Ford."

"We know Charlie. Thanks Brenda." Severide said with a wink. Casey nudged him with his elbow as they entered the stairwell.

The third floor was alive with noise and movement. Rows of desks were filled with dispatch officers, each with a number of screens and a headset. It was organised chaos, with every individual in the room talking. It was more like a telemarketing business than a dispatch centre. The firemen stood a little lost at the top of the stairs until a familiar figure appeared in front of them, grinning at their discomposure.

"Would you look at this! Chicago's finest, afraid of a little noise!"

"Charlie." Casey greeted him with a wide grin and a handshake, as did Severide.

Charlie Ford was stocky man, only a few years older than Casey himself, with prematurely grey hair and deeply etched laugh-lines.

"Looks like you're moving up in the world Ford!" Severide teased. "Doesn't seem to long ago you were manning Connie's desk over at 51."

Charlie laughed good naturedly and gestured for them to follow him to his office.

"Sorry you boys had to come all the way down here. My predecessor left things in a bit of a mess, so Brenda's been fielding my calls for me while I got a handle on things."

"Not at all Charlie. It's always good to see you." Casey said, taking one of the chairs at the busy desk.

"You too, the both of you. It's been way too long." He said, sitting behind his desk. The noise from the dispatch officers drifted through the door.

"It has. And thanks for seeing us. It sounds like things have been pretty hectic."

"Anything for 51."

This seemed as good a time as any to bring up the purpose of their visit.

"I don't know if it got through Brenda, but we're having a bit of trouble with our frequencies. Have the time we're picking up CPD. It's causing a bit of trouble when we're out on calls." Casey leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. It had been a long shift, and he really just wanted to get home. Severide seemed the same as he leaned back in his chair. Charlie shifted some papersout of the way as he spoke to them.

"I can imagine. Fortunately it's an easy fix. Either you've been assigned the wrong frequency, or one of the CPD's units has. It's probably not on your end, because I know you guys have been using the same frequency since before the dinosaurs."

Severide and Casey chuckled lightly as Charlie pounded away at his computer.

"I'm just cross referencing 51's assigned frequency with the stations in and around your district."

"Will it take long?"

"You got somewhere to be Severide?" Charlie teased lightly, one wiry eyebrow raised.

"Not at all Charlie. I'm right where I want to be."

"Mmhmm." Charlie murmured, either ignoring or missing the friendly jab, his attention already back on the screen. "Ok, here we go."

"Seriously? It's that fast?"

"Well, it's not fixed yet. I've only found the conflicting user."

"Ok..."

"So, I'll just send a quick email to Claire on the fifth floor asking her to assign them a different frequency and you're gold!" Charlie replied with a triumphant grin. He tapped out the email and finished with a little flourish.

"Done?"

"Done! But I'll double check with her later. Either way, it should definitely be sorted by your next shift." At this, Charlie looked at the pair of them, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "Speaking of; you two look like shit. I'm guessing you two just got off shift now?"

"Well..."

"Say no more! I've got plenty of work to do, and it looks like you've got plenty of resting to do." Charlie was already standing and ushering them back out into the din of the dispatch officers.

"Funny Charlie." Casey deadpanned. "Actually, this was quicker than I thought it'd be. I might try get home and cook something up for Gabby."

"Ah yes! I'd heard you and Dawson had shacked up together. It's about time too! The pair of you have been in love with each other since her first shift at 51."

Severide's shoulder's shook with suppressed laughter at his friend's blush.

"Actually, I how is Gabby? Boden mentioned she had a bit of a close call."

"Yeah. A bit too close for comfort, for all of us." Severide murmured, no longer laughing.

"She's ok." Casey added, patting his friend on the shoulder. "I always hate sending her in to danger like that, but she's always the first to remind me that she can take care of herself. It was the first thing she said to me when she walked out of that fire."

Charlie chuckled at that. "That's Dawson for you; stubborn as a mule, but always right, even if –"

"You let her go in a fire?!"

The three men turned at the interruption. A tall, lean man stood there with wide, furious eyes.

"Victor, what -?"

"Did you send her into a fire?" the man – Victor – demanded. His hands shook with anger and Casey was immediately on the defensive.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" he asked, endeavouring to sound polite, despite the older man's aggressive stance.

"How could you be so stupid? What the hell were you thinking?" His voice dripped venom, causing Severide to step in, one hand slightly raised in warning.

"Listen, man, I don't know who you are, but – "

Their aggressor didn't seem to care about the muscular wall of Severide in front of him and simply brushed the fireman's hand aside, his vicious gaze focused on Casey as he hissed "You put her in harm's way again and I will _burn_ you! Understand?"

This was apparently enough to set off Charlie, who had been stunned into silence.

"Ramsey! What the hell are you doing?"

Casey's head jerked around in shock and recognition.

"Wait! You're Ramsey?"

Two security officers appeared, likely summoned by other personnel, and started pulling Ramsey away, even as he thrashed and shouted

"I can keep her safe! She'll never be safe with _you_ in her life! Stay away from her or I'll kill you!"

Casey pushed against Severide, who had at some point placed a restraining hand at Casey's chest.

"Gabby is my girlfriend! _You_ stay away, before I file a harassment charge!"

"I'll burn you Casey! _I'LL BURN YOU!_"


End file.
